Fleet Week is a seven-day celebration and beloved tradition of the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Coast Guard. The experience is in large part a celebration of our country’s armed forces, one that features a week’s worth of demonstrations, ship tours, special exhibits, festivals, parades, and concerts. This November, Houston was slated to host Fleet Week for the first time in history. However, due to the government shutdown the event has been rescheduled for an undisclosed time next year.
This past Thursday, Houston Mayor John Whitmire announced the decision to postpone Fleet Week in Houston. In his statement, Whitmire lamented the ongoing government shutdown – now in its fourth week – as the cause, stating that it would be a detriment to the experience if it were to go on this fall.
“It’s disappointing that Fleet Week Houston had to be rescheduled because of the government shutdown,” Whitmire stated in a press release. “I want the city’s first Fleet Week to be an exceptional experience for everyone. The date changes help to ensure we have the time and resources to plan an extraordinary event”.
While Whitmire stated that Houston would host Fleet Week in 2026, he nor other officials announced specific dates for the event.
Prior, there were hopes that Fleet Week would go on this November in Houston, despite the shutdown. Earlier this October, for instance, San Francisco’s Fleet Week went on and was largely heralded as a success. Albeit, Fleet Week in San Francisco did not feature its traditional highlight, the flight of the Blue Angels.
The Wings Over Houston Airshow at Elligton Airport this past week also went on, though was forced to forgo a demonstration by the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds as a result of the shutdown.
Earlier this week, staffing shortages lead to ground stops at IAH and Hobby Airport. The ground stops were lifted later this week.